Typology of volunteers’ personalities in the context of their readiness for volunteer activities

The relevance of the conducted research is due to the need to study and systematize the personality traits that ensure readiness for volunteer activities, which contributes to the development of Russian society through the formation of conscious social activity. The identified combinations of personality traits and qualities of volunteers provide an opportunity to support and direct volunteer activities in accordance with the needs and expectations of each type of personality, to plan and use the resources of the volunteer organization, and to effectively manage the activities of volunteers. As a result of an empirical study involving 122 volunteers from the Ryazan regional branch of the Russian Student Troops, personal factors were identified that serve as psychological predictors of readiness for volunteer activities. Next, four types of volunteer personality were identified using the k-means method, and their main characteristics were presented. Volunteers with the personality type “altruist with a life purpose” were characterized by formed moral values, a meaningful approach to volunteer activities, and a low level of personal organization. They made up 11.5% of the sample. Volunteers with the personality type “professional executor” (41% of the sample) were characterized by their diligence in completing assigned tasks without understanding the moral significance of their activities, with the goal of gaining experience and new skills. Volunteers – “experimenters” (18% of the sample) successfully generated and developed ideas for events, and were ready for new contacts, while showing instability when achieving the goal, quickly losing interest in routine volunteer work. A significant part was made up of volunteers of the type “random people” – 29.5% of the sample, who engage in volunteering without a significant and conscious reason and motivation. The results obtained confirm the hypothesis that the typology of volunteers’ personalities can serve as the basis for targeted measures aimed at the formation and development of meaningful volunteer activity.

1. Pokhomova A.A. Altruism and egoism in motivating volunteer activity. Journal of the Belarusian State University. Sociology. 2023;1:64–70 (in Russian). https://doi.org/10.33581/2521-6821-2023-1-64-70.

2. Boldyreva N.V., Rusu D., Grishaev A.K., et al. The role and significance of volunteering in modern life in Russia. Bulletin of the University of World Civilizations. 2019:(2):23. Available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/rol-i-znachenie-volontyorstva-v-sovremennoy-zhizni-v-rossii [Accessed: 15 February 2026] (in Russian).

3. Kholina O.I. Volunteering as a social phenomenon of modern Russian society. Theory and Practice of Social Development. 2011:(8). Available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/volonterstvo-kak-sotsialnyy-fenomen-sovremennogo-rossiyskogo-obschestva [Accessed: 04 March 2026] (in Russian).

4. Shcherbinin E.V. Personality development of young students in the process of volunteer activities. In the collection: Pedagogy and Psychology as a Resource for the Development of Modern Society: Proceedings of the XV International Scientific and Practical Conference. Ryazan; 2024:269–276 (in Russian).

5. Zemlyanskaya A.S. Psychological Features of Russian Volunteering. Bulletin of the Moscow Information Technology University – Moscow Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering. 2022:(1). Available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/psihologicheskie-osobennosti-rossiyskogo-dobrovolchestva [Accessed: 27 February 2026] (in Russian). doi:10.52210/2224669X_2022_1_54.

6. Zubok Yu.A., ChuprovV. I., Lyubutov A.S. Experience of structural and taxonomic study of self-organization of youth life. Bulletin of Tomsk State University. Philosophy. Sociology. Political Science. 2020;(53):59–75 (in Russian). DOI 10.17223/1998863X/53/7.

7. Rudenkin D.V., Rudenkina A.I. The Internet in the social reality of modern Russian youth: trends and risks. Juvenis scientia. 2019;1:43–48 (in Russian). DOI: 10.32415/jscientia.2019.01.10.

8. Bokova O.A., Grigoricheva I.V., Melnikova Yu.A. Personality traits and emotional intelligence of student volunteers: Results of an empirical study. The World of Science, Culture, Education. 2018;5(72). Available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/lichnostnye-osobennosti-i-emotsionalnyy-intellekt-studentov-volonterov-rezultaty-empiricheskogo-issledovaniya [Accessed: 04 March 2026] (in Russian).

9. Saenko V.N., Yachmennikova A.I. Volunteer activities as a factor in increasing stress resistance of young people in higher education institutions. Telescope. 2022;1. Available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/volonterskaya-deyatelnost-kak-faktor-povysheniya-stressoustoychivosti-molodezhi-v-vysshih-uchebnyh-zavedeniyah [Accessed: 20 February 2026] (in Russian). DOI: 10.24412/1994-3776-2022-1-156-162.

10. Zarubko E.Yu., Obaturov E.V. Motivational sphere of volunteers with different lengths of volunteer experience. The world of science. Pedagogy and psychology. 2023:(11):4. Available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/motivatsionnaya-sfera-volonterov-s-raznym-stazhem-volonterskoy-deyatelnosti [Accessed: 24 February 2026] (in Russian).

11. Stegniy V.N., Nikonov M.V. Motivation of volunteer activity. Bulletin of PNRPU. Social and Economic Sciences. 2018;1. Available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/motivatsiya-volonterskoy-deyatelnosti-1 [Accessed: 02 March 2026] (in Russian). DOI: 10.15593/2224-9354/2018.1.14.

12. Bogacheva T.I. Motivation of volunteer activity as a subject of social and psychological research in the 21st century. Scientific notes. Electronic scientific journal of Kursk State University. 2021;1(57). Available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/motivatsiya-dobrovolcheskoy-deyatelnosti-kak-predmet-sotsialno-psihologicheskih-issledovaniy-v-xxi-veke [Accessed: 08 March 2026] (in Russian).

13. Pevnaya M.V., Minchenko D.V., Belov A.A. Motivation in self-regulation of youth volunteer activity. Science. Culture. Society. 2023;3. Available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/motivatsiya-v-samoregulyatsii-volonterskoy-deyatelnosti-molodezhi [Accessed: 04 March 2026] (in Russian). DOI 10.19181/nko.2023.29.3.2.

14. Kostrigin A.A., Sokolova M.A. Motivational characteristics of volunteers working on a permanent and temporary basis. Psychology, sociology and pedagogy. 2015;6:147–152 (in Russian).

15. Yudeeva T.V., Fazylov N.R. Personal meaning and motivation in the context of volunteer experience. The world of science. Pedagogy and psychology. 2025;3. Available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/lichnostnyy-smysl-i-motivatsiya-v-kontekste-volontyorskogo-opyta [Accessed: 01 March 2026] (in Russian).

16. Finkelstein M.A. Volunteer satisfaction and volunteer action: a functional approach. Social Behavior and Personality. 2008;36(1):9–18 DOI:10.2224/sbp.2008.36.1.9.

17. Taylor T.P., Pancer S.M. Community service experiences and commitment to volunteering. Journ. of Applied Social Psychology. 2007;37:320–345 DOI: 10.1111/j.0021-9029.2007.00162.x.

18. Gulevich O. A., Sheveleva I. A., Fomichev A. A. Helping as a lifestyle: psychological aspects of volunteer activity. Social Psychology and Society. 2013;2(4):5–20. Available at: https://psyjournals.ru/journals/sps/archive/2013_n2/60943 [Accessed: 02 March 2026] (in Russian).

19. Ishkova E.V. Psychological determinants of personality orientation types toward volunteer activities: diss. …. cand. psychology. Krasnodar: 2023 (in Russian).

20. Kalugin A.Yu., Shchebetenko S.A., Mishkevich A.M., et al. Psychometrics of the Russian-language version of the Big Five Inventory-2. Psychology. Journal of the Higher School of Economics. 2021;1(18):7–33 (in Russian). DOI: 10.17323/1813-8918-2021-1-7-33.

21. Sychev O.A., Bespalov A.M., Prudnikova M.M., et al. Features of moral foundations in Mongolian, German, and Russian adolescents. Cultural-historical psychology. 2016;1(12):85–96 (in Russian). DOI:10.17759/chp.2016120109.

22. Leontiev D.A. Test of Life-Meaning Orientations (MLO). 2nd ed. Moscow: Smysl; 2000:18 (in Russian).

23. Tenyaeva O.V. Personal Foundations of Volunteer Activity. Russian Social and Humanitarian Journal. 2026;1. Available at: www.evestnik-mgou.ru https://doi.org/10.18384/2224-0209-2026-1-1718 (in Russian).